Ex-sheriff's deputy charged in wife's fatal shooting

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — A former sheriff’s deputy in Virginia has been charged with three other suspects in the shooting death of his wife.

David Lee Morse, 66, a former Henry County sheriff’s deputy, was arrested Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, according to Martinsville Sheriff Steve Draper.

The Martinsville Bulletin reports that Morse was being held without bond.

The Virginia State Police said Morse called 911 on May 13 and reported that he had just arrived home from work and found the body of his wife, 63-year-old Pamela Morse.

The Medical Examiner’s Office in Roanoke confirmed that Pamela Morse had died of a gunshot wound.

Three other suspects are in custody and face first-degree murder charges in her killing. Authorities have identified them as Collin Joshua Russell, 37, Tanna Shelton Fitzgerald, 54, and Casey Lynn Rogers, 27.

State Police said several firearms and other items stolen from the Morses’ home were recovered from a stolen 2010 Jeep Compass abandoned behind a residence in Franklin County.